NationStates Jolt Archive

Whats going to happen when the world's population is so huge that there's no more space left at all. Give me some ideas. I think we will colonize the Moon and other planets.

Do not talk such nonsense. Obviously we will have to have some sort of giant cull, based on a Lottery system of some sort. I think most of the people on these forums should be first in line to the culling machine (as it shall be known).

Well, when that happens we will all fight one huge war that will obliterate masses of land and people until there are not enough to continue fighting effectively.

It wouldn't happen. We would lack basic resources well before we ran out of space. Water shortages would cause wars and thereby reduce the population. In any case, we could all live in multistoried buildings. A lack of space is less likely to be a problem than a lack of food, water, and other basic needs.

Look it will lead to massive death and destruction no matter how you look at it. It would be cool if we could video tape all of this happening and sell it(I am joking).

Don't worry it isn't likely to happen. As countries become richer and women become more liberated they have less children. I believe the U.S. is the only developed country in the world where women still average more than 2 births each. The worlds population looks like it will peak somewhere in the low nine billions. That's only a few billion more than we have now. The worlds farmers are already capable of supplying enough calories to feed nine billion. Resources are not a problem. People can always recycle stuff. When you use stuff the atoms are never actually destroyed. They still exist and can be reused. Enough energy can be gathered for people to lead comfortable lives even if only renewable resources are used.

I think people will colonise other planets, but because they want to, not because they have to.

Why do you think all those bastards in Rwanda went berserk? There's your answer. Now when we've got resources to spare is when we should focus on getting off the rock. Later when there stretched much thinner it won't even be considered.

We have plenty of space, its food and water that we need to worry about.
Y'see, you could fit the entire worlds population into an area about the size of Texas. Standing room only, of course, but you could do it.
Now, assuming you give everybody ten square feet of space, you might be able to cram them all into North America, with a little spillage into Columbia. Thats assuming you could bulldoze the entire continient and make it perfectly flat.
And thus everybody is happy in their ten by ten cubes, you might have to stack people a few rows deep, but it would work.
It might start to smell rather badly after a bit though.

We have plenty of space, its food and water that we need to worry about.
Y'see, you could fit the entire worlds population into an area about the size of Texas. Standing room only, of course, but you could do it.
Now, assuming you give everybody ten square feet of space, you might be able to cram them all into North America, with a little spillage into Columbia. Thats assuming you could bulldoze the entire continient and make it perfectly flat.
And thus everybody is happy in their ten by ten cubes, you might have to stack people a few rows deep, but it would work.
It might start to smell rather badly after a bit though.
Cool :)

Cool :)
Reserve your cube today :P

Bubonic Pluague....The Black Death.....

Nature's Broom.

There's actually a lot of resources for even more people. It's the distribution problem.

People will realize that we will become over-populated unless our births are controlled. When this becomes apparent, the we will rely on the government to implement a system of birth regulation that will allow the human race to continue existing indefinately without ever becoming over-populated. We will exist for as long as we can until such a time as resources are so scarce that we fight over all of them. There will be a great war and a large part of the race will be wiped out. Then the rest will die off once the last resource has been used. I don't think our race will end with over-population.

There's actually a lot of resources for even more people. It's the distribution problem.
Yes, but they would run out well before we managed to only have standing room for everyone in the world.

Bubonic Pluague....The Black Death.....

Nature's Broom.

My thoughts on the subject exactly. Imagine if HIV became airborne. We’re screwed. Oh, I’m sure .001 percent of people are immune to HIV, but that only leaves 600 thousand people. Plenty of room then.

Yes, but they would run out well before we managed to only have standing room for everyone in the world.

You can cram 1000 people into 1 square kilometre. Why won't there be enough space???

You can cram 1000 people into 1 square kilometre. Why won't there be enough space???
That's not what I'm saying. We're going to run out of resources long before we ever run out of space.

If we get these massive people compacters we could probably squeeze more people into less land. Of course the side effects would be broken bones and most likely death, it would be worth it of course.

That's not what I'm saying. We're going to run out of resources long before we ever run out of space.

Depends what your goal is...do you want cram the entire world with people?

If we get these massive people compacters we could probably squeeze more people into less land. Of course the side effects would be broken bones and most likely death, it would be worth it of course.
But the problem isn't space, its resources.

There's plenty of resources to support a much larger population. The problem is it will be at a much lower standard of living than the western world currently enjoys. Something close to peasanthood as I recall. You see, as someone already pointed out, it isn't the lack of resources thats the problem, its where they go. Currently the Western World, and the United States in particular, consume much more in the way of goods than the rest of the planet. Thats how we can have such a high standard of living. Now, we could do what the Commies want and redistribute all that wealth around the world, but frankly, I don't want to live in a cinder block hut. I would much rather screw the third world and nuke them when they start getting uppity about it.

However, if we must descend into world-wide peasanthood in order to survive, I would like to nominate myself as Supreme Lord-distributor. After all, you can't be a peasant unless you have a lord (no matter what Monty Python says).

Well to solve the resource problem, all we have to do is eliminate vesigial organs and reduce diet sizes. I mean without the organs we will have less bodymass, as well there have got to be some areas of the brain we do not need, I mean after all that thing is big and squishy looking. After all of that, we will insist upon a diet of one crouton and a teaspoon of water as the only meal for everyday.

At that point, why wait for a space rock to finish the job. Just have WWIII and get on with evolving a higher tolerance to radioactive isotopes in the food chain, and rebuilding industry in another attempt to get off the rock.

there have got to be some areas of the brain we do not need, I mean after all that thing is big and squishy looking.

LOL :)

The world has problems, but massive overpopulation isn't one of them. It will probably peak at about 3 billion or so more than we have now.

The world has problems, but lack of resources are not one of them. Any material we use can be used again. The atoms are not destroyed. We can recycle.

The world has problems, but lack of energy is not likely to be a major one. Even if only renewable energy is used there is more than enough power available from wind, sunlight, geothermal etc. energy to give 9 billion plus people a standard of living higher than that of Norway or the U.S. today.

Why is everyone so pesermistic? Check out the miricle of the demographic transition as displayed by members of my own family:

Great great Aunt: 23 children
Grandmother: 7 children
Mother: 3 children
Older sister: 1 child and no desire for more.
My brother: 0 children and only desires to practice making babies, not actually have them.

My brother: 0 children and only desires to practice making babies, not actually have them.
Now there's an ingenious solution to our problems! :D

Nobody else likes my cube idea?

Nobody else likes my cube idea?
Nah, but only because you thought of it first... :p

Nah, but only because you thought of it first... :p
Bastards. Your all getting half-sized cubes. I hope your all really short :)

Look your family is weird. After all, what about us normal people who wish to have thousands of concubines who will bear us 1000s, maybe millions of offspring. That is what I am going to do. Oh yeah, I am going to run out of names, and eventually these children will force me to change my name and go down to mexico. But seriously, the whole child birth thing does not exactly work like that, most certainly more people are having less, but population growth is still occuring especially in crappy 3rd world nations where they pump em out despite a current lack of food.

But seriously, the whole child birth thing does not exactly work like that, most certainly more people are having less, but population growth is still occuring especially in crappy 3rd world nations where they pump em out despite a current lack of food.

As people get richer and women become more liberated they tend to have less children. As more developing countries become richer and more liberated they will tend to have less children. The world population is increasing and almost all that increase is occurring in the developing world, but their rates of population growth are expected to slow as has happened in every developed country and the world population is expected to peak in the low nine billions. We can't predict the exact amount, it could be higher or it could be lower.

So yes, population will increase in the developing world, but it won't increase indefinately. It will slow down.

what about us normal people who wish to have thousands of concubines who will bear us 1000s, maybe millions of offspring.

I think I did mention something about women's lib preventing this.

I think I did mention something about women's lib preventing this.
Womens liberties will be an outated concept in oh....about...now.
...
*is mauled by a rabid feminist*
Damn, I was early.